Launch and Learn

In this episode, we talk to Doug van Spronsen, the co-founder of Versett - a digital consulting firm focused on helping businesses launch customer-centric companies. Versett has been a global company from the start, and we talk about their approach to team-building, how they approach strategy & innovation, and where the industry is headed.

Thanks so much for listening! Follow Alex & Matthias on LinkedIn to chat or to suggest who should come on the show next!

In this lively episode, we talk to former big-4 consultant Alexandra Nuth about her journey into corporate entrepreneurship and how she ended up building Now or Never Ventures, a Challenger Consultancy that helps corporates drive innovation through venture building. She covers what it was like building a bank inside a bank, their unique approach to building ventures, and where most companies get it wrong when trying to be 'innovative'.

Keep up with Now or Never ventures on Medium or LinkedIn or follow Alexandra Nuth & Iain Montgomery to follow their journey!

Leading a company through a growth phase is challenging, to say the least. It can be hard to balance profitability with growth, particularly in Europe where language and regional differences can limit expansion opportunities.

Benjamin comes on the show to share about how Péntech is approaching their expansion across the Eastern European market and brings some practical strategies on how to approach sales and hiring during a time of rapid growth.

Connect with Benjamin and follow Péntech on LinkedIn! (especially if you speak Hungarian)

Have a guest to recommend or want to come on the show yourself? Connect with your hosts Alex & Matthias on LinkedIn as well, or check out our thriving podcast page.

PIVOT!

As we've learned in previous episodes, pivoting can be hard. But sometimes just one pivot isn't enough! Shane Fast digs into the story of how Athennian pivotted 3 times before becoming what they are today - a leading legal tech company with a focus on Entity Management and Corporate Law. Shane was formerly the CFO but recently stepped down to a Team Lead role - we also cover this story and how to place an importance on your family life.

Connect with Shane Fast on LinkedIn and learn more about how Athennian is shaking up the legal industry!

https://betakit.com/athennian-acquires-montreals-redox-looks-to-become-salesforce-for-legal-industry/

https://privatecapitaljournal.com/athennian-secures-8m-series-a-led-by-arthur-ventures/

Check out our website or reach out to Alex or Matthias on LinkedIn to be a guest on the show!

Many forward-thinking businesses these days partner with non-profits, NGOs, or support causes they care about. Other businesses tackle social problems head-on: like Yusudi, an impact business based in Nairobi which offers training and equipping programs with the goal of improving the Youth employment rate in Kenya and beyond.

Charlotte De Ridder shares about her journey to social entrepreneurship, how to balance business KPIs with social impact, and the future of Yusudi.

Connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn

Check out our website or connect with Alex or Matthias on LinkedIn as well, while you're at it.

Stefan Richter has been part of numerous startups, both as a Product Manager and CPO. He comes on the show to share about how he approaches hiring Junior PMs, what the Product landscape looks like these days, and how he approaches running Product teams at scale.

Stefan's Recommended podcasts (some in German)

Connect with Stefan on LinkedIn

Know anyone who would be a great guest on the show? Get them to check out our website and fill out an application at launch-learn.com

The fashion industry is undergoing some serious change these days, with many companies turning their focus away from fast-fashion and towards sustainable and transparent supply chains. Eshita Kabra only launched her clothing rental marketplace 10 months ago but has seen significant interest, due in part to her media coverage and focus on sustainability.

Eshita Kabra is the Founder of By Rotation and was recently named as one of the "14 Inspiring Women Leading The Fight Against Climate Change" by Refinery29 alongside Greta Thunberg, Stella McCartney, Ellen MacArthur and Dr Jane Goodall. We talked to her about building a community, her motivation for entering the fashion industry, and why she decided to build her product with a team of freelancers.

https://byrotation.com/

Starting a new company can be a daunting task to new entrepreneurs. But just because the business model is proven doesn't mean the work is over - in fact, it has only just begun. Lifelong friends Julian & Sebastian share their experience in scaling Airgreets, including finding a technical Co-Founder, expanding to multiple countries, and building trust with customers.

Airgreets is an outsourced property manager for everyday people who want to list their primary home on short-term booking platforms without all the extra work that comes with tenant management. Julian & Sebastian sold Airgreets in 2019 before becoming Associate Partners at Stryber Ventures.

Learn more about Airgreets here.

Connect with Julian Ritter and Sebastian Drescher on LinkedIn!

Marketing these days is about a lot more than fancy ad campaigns and graphic design; it takes a scientific mindset and an iterative approach to help a product launch successfully. In this episode, Adomas Baltagalvis joins us to talk about his career as a math & finance enthusiast before becoming a freelance marketer and digital nomad who specialised in crowdfund campaigns. Now he's trying to change the travel experience through his role as a Co-Founder and CMO of Eddy Travels - a travel chat bot that helps you find the best deals on flights and accommodation. 

www.eddytravels.com

A great marketing strategy means nothing if you don't have a customer-first mindset and a product that solves real problems. In this episode, Julia Kupke talks about her entrepreneurial journey from MIFLORA, a flower delivery service, to BonaVal, a jewelry marketplace for pawn shops, before becoming the CMO of Stryber, a venture builder in Munich. She talks growth hacks, common startup mistakes, and how to make it as a marketer in today's tech-heavy workplaces.